The only beverage in the world that is consumed more than tea is water. Is it correct to call water a beverage? You can do so many other things with it, like wash clothes, swim, nurture plants, take a shower... and things that not too many people would attempt to do with tea! So, maybe it is safe to say that tea is the top beverage in the world that can definitely be classified as a beverage... and nothing else! Iced tea is a classic, no matter what time of year it is, although it is generally more popular during warmer weather. During the hottest months, when any exercise at all can bring on perspiration and the general feeling of being locked in a sauna, what better way to refresh, rejuvenate, and prevent dehydration than a tinkling, moisture-beaded glass of iced tea? There are so many different types of tea and tea blends that are suitable for drinking on ice, and it seems they are growing in popularity. No longer are iced tea lovers limited to Lipton bags when the time comes to brew a pitcher.! The combinations that one can find are amazing. Some of them blend together ingredients that you would never think of as suitable for iced tea. That's when the time comes for an iced drinker to be adventurous, and try out some of these combinations. You might just be surprised at the taste, and you may discover a new favorite. Rose tea is one of my latest discoveries. It seems perfect for lazy summer afternoons, sipping its iced goodness while sitting among the hybrid tea rose bushes in my rose garden. I was quite intrigued by the very idea of rose, and did a little research on it to find out what I could about the origins of this variety. I discovered that rose tea has been around for quite some time as one of the oldest blends there is. It is usually made from a very high quality black tea, mixed with wonderfully fragrant rose petals, and sometimes with small rosebuds as well. The best rose blends are expertly blended, with just the right amount of both black and rose. The blending is important; in fact, the blending is what allows you to be able to tell the difference in a good quality rose, and one that is of dubious quality. A quick sniff of a good quality rose tells the tale in a big way. If ever you can compare the scent of quality rose tea with a cheaper variety, do so. You'll never forget the difference! Less expensive rose blends do not use the actual flower, but merely a rose flavoring, and you can certainly tell the difference in taste as well as aroma. The taste of the rose petals blends almost seamlessly with the black base. To brew rose tea for making iced tea, you'll want to make it a little stronger than you ordinarily would for hot tea. When you pour the warm drink over ice, some of that ice will naturally melt and dilute the mixture. A stronger brew works out wonderfully for iced tea. And, if you're tempted to purchase rose in teabag or pod form... don't. Nothing gives you the flavor as it was meant to be better than loose tea, and rose is no exception. Spoon the loose tea into a glass pitcher, or you can use a pot sized ball if you don't want to go to the trouble of pouring the brewed mixture through a strainer. You'll want around a teaspoon and a half to two teaspoons of loose tea. Use freshly boiled water, about a cup for each glass. Pour over the loose tea and allow to steep for about 6 minutes. The longer it steeps, the more pronounced the rose flavor is, but you run the risk of the black base turning a little bitter if it is steeped for too long. Use very little sugar in your rose iced tea. It's actually delicious with no sugar at all, but a small amount of sugar seems to really bring out the taste. Let the mixture cool a bit so that it doesn't totally melt the ice in the glasses, and then pour it over crushed ice or ice cubes - your choice. A variation is rose milk iced tea, which is very popular in China and other Asian countries. To make this, heat water and milk together, and steep your tea in this mixture. Add a little sugar, and pour over ice. Milky deliciousness! Rose iced is actually quite good for you! These beautiful flowers contain not only Vitamin C, but also citric acid, malic acid, and pectin. Rose tea is said to help to clear any form of toxins from the body, and in doing so, cleanses the liver and gall bladder as well. It's a great variety to drink when you are nervous, as it seems to gift you a lift and also perk you up and make you forget your tiredness and depression. So, now you have a good excuse to indulge yourself in some quality rose iced tea! Not only is it delicious, but healthy, too!
It's getting to be that time of year when you don't want to do anything that will heat up your kitchen, especially turn on the oven or a burner on the stove! So, you know what that means. Everything possible will be prepared outside on the grill, and everyone is going to drink either sun tea or water - and love it. I fondly remember making sun tea as a preteen back in the 70s. I can still see the gallon glass pickle jar that had been carefully washed and dried to remove any scent of pickle juice. It held an amber liquid as it sat in the bright sunshine on top of our fence made from boulders. Everyone was making sun tea - it was the latest thing that summer! It was my job to find the best spot for the jar. A lot depended on the time of day it was. The jar had to receive direct sunlight in order for the tea to brew, and the fence was usually the best place. The way we made sun tea back then was to use leaves or bags, the pickle jar complete with lid, about a cup of sugar, and of course, water. We would put the water and sugar into the sugar into the pickle jar first, then add the bags. I would always make sure that the strings attached to the bags were hanging over the top of the pickle jar so I could screw the lid down over them. This kept the bags from falling into the jar. We'd let the sun tea brew for about two hours, and then enjoy it iced at dinner time. We never worried about drinking our iced sun tea back then. But, times have changed, and it has been discovered that there can be bacteria in sun tea, in particular a type of bacteria called alcaligenes viscolactis. It seems that this bacterium is in the water. When the jar of sun tea sits in the sun for a couple of hours, the bacteria can grow. The heat of the sun may be enough to brew, but it is not hot enough to kill bacteria. Scientists who have studied this bacteria phenomenon in sun tea have found that the caffeine that is naturally found in some teas can keep the bacteria from growing, but only for a couple of hours. If you prepare sun tea using herbal leaves, or a decaffeinated black, you have inadvertently chosen two types that are splendid for growing bacteria! What could this bacteria do to you and your family? It is said that alcaligenes viscolactis can cause abdominal infection and illness. This is not a very pleasant way for anyone to spend a lovely summer day! How can you tell if your sun tea contains this bacteria? When the tea is freshly brewed, it is difficult to tell. However, if the sun tea has been placed in the refrigerator, inspect it carefully. If there are any weird looking particles floating around in the brew that look something like rope, you definitely have bacteria in your sun drink. Whatever you do, do not drink this brew! It is advised that you should pour out the tea and wash the container that held it thoroughly before you try to brew again. Personally, I would discard the container, and buy another one. There is no sense in taking chances! How can you prepare sun tea safely? Is there a way to prevent the growth of bacteria and keep your brew from making you ill? Yes, there is! If you are looking for a little nostalgia, and would like to prepare some safe sun tea so that you can enjoy a glass of iced goodness safely, here is all you have to do. One way to make safe sun tea to serve iced is to boil the water you will be using to make the brew with for five full minutes. Boiling the water will kill off any bacteria. Another, and possibly the best way to make a sun drink is to prepare the special "no heat" sun tea. Granted, it is not really "sun" tea, but when safety is a factor, this is the best procedure to use. An alternative to boiling the water and a sure way to eliminate all bacteria is to use purified water processed through a steam distillation and oxygenation process. Refrigerator tea can be quite simple to make, and can taste delicious! Just place two quarts of water into a glass pitcher - no plastic! Plastic can absorb odors and will make your tea have a peculiar flavor. Place 8 teaspoons of loose black leaves in the water, and place the pitcher in the refrigerator. Leave it there overnight. Next morning, strain the drink using a fine strainer. If sweetening is preferred, add the sugar to the water before placing the leaves in the pitcher. You can use any type of tea you like in this recipe, but the black tea is especially good. Serve the tea poured over ice in a tall glass.
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